


Behind The Mask

by redblonde7 (dragons_and_angels)



Series: Spades Verse [2]
Category: Hetalia: Axis Powers
Genre: Cardverse, M/M, Spades Kingdom, Sweethearts Week
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-03-10
Updated: 2013-03-10
Packaged: 2017-12-04 20:56:13
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,198
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/714999
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/dragons_and_angels/pseuds/redblonde7
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Arthur was to presented as the new Queen of Spades at the masquerade ball but he had barely seen his future King since their first meeting. This was not helping his nerves.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Behind The Mask

**Author's Note:**

> Done for the 'Masquerade' prompt for Sweethearts Week.

"You would think I would be used to being dressed like a prize pony," Arthur muttered to himself as he started to get dressed in the many layers that were required of him. His family had an impressive lineage but funds had been low for the past several years and the clothes he was expected to wear as Queen were much more plentiful and a much higher quality than they had been at home. 

 

 

The thought of home made Arthur straighten up and look around his bedroom. As soon as it was discovered he was the new Queen, the Jack, Yao, had shown his new bedroom, his new wardrobe and his whole new life. It made Arthur's head spin but almost the worst point in the whole mess was that his future husband, the King of Spades, was always too busy to see Arthur. They had one meal together since their first meeting three weeks ago and now Arthur was going to be presented as his Queen at the masquerade ball tonight. 

 

 

"Last chance to back out," Arthur said out loud but smiled wryly. There was no chance of him leaving, not now Bryn had sent word that the Palace was starting to pay off the Kirkland's family debts. 

 

 

"Backing out? You can't back out!" A high-pitched voice came from behind him, making Arthur start and spin around. The sight of the small boy in a familiar black hat caused Arthur to relax. Peter still looked the same, even down to the spikes of his hat and his pointy black tail. 

 

 

"It's good to see you again, Peter," Arthur said, a smile tugging on his face. Peter had been there all through his childhood, but while Arthur had grown physically older, Peter had remained the same. Now it was almost like Arthur had a little brother instead of being the youngest in the family. 

 

 

Peter grinned bashfully, stepping forward and pulling Arthur into a tight hug. Arthur returned it, glad for this little bit of familiarity after all the strange and new things he had experienced lately. 

 

 

"I'm happy to see you too, Arthur." Peter pulled back and grinned up at Arthur. "How's the life of a Queen treating you?" Arthur stopped himself grimacing at the question, but it was a close one. The last thing he wanted to do in front of everyone tonight was to seem as if he was ungrateful to be Queen. Even if that was the truth. 

 

 

Unfortunately, Peter had watched Arthur grow up and could read him better than anyone else in the world, especially since he had actually cared what Arthur was feeling. His smile turned into a worried frown. "What's wrong? What's going on?" 

 

 

"It's not bad, Peter," Arthur said, forestalling any more questions. "I'm just missing home, that's all. And I haven't seen my future husband at all over the last few weeks and I'm just a little worried about how this ball tonight is going to go. And this marriage in general." Arthur sat down on the bed, just avoiding the dark blue coat and small top hat that he had been given. The waist-high clock that belonged to every Queen was on the floor by the fire but luckily Arthur was not taking that tonight. 

 

 

"It's got to be weird when you start out. But Alfred's a good person, I wouldn't let you be his Queen if not. He's a bit reckless sometimes and very similar to the King of Spades before his father." Peter was babbling but his words did help to reassure Arthur. At least he did not have to worry about his King being a good man. Now all he had to worry about was whether his King would like him when he actually spent some time with him. Arthur knew he was not a very likeable person and so it could go either way. 

 

 

"Okay, Peter, I'll try," Arthur promised. He picked up the mask he had to wear this evening and slotted it over his face. It covered everything from the tip of his nose upwards and it gave Arthur a sense of protection. No one would be able to see his expressions with it on. Peter grinned before disappearing as quickly as he had come, leaving Arthur alone. He looked around the room, before picking up the coat. "Guess it's time." 

 

 

***

 

Arthur had been shown the ballroom on his tour of the Palace in his first week. Then, he marveled at how big the room seemed. Now he thought about how crowded it seemed, with what appeared to be every possible person they could squeeze into the room. It was loud, it was hot and Arthur could not see his King anywhere. 

 

 

Luckily, Yao appeared at his elbow before long, curbing Arthur's panic. The Jack had on a similar mask to Arthur's, although his was a plain material while Arthur had ridged, swirled pattens along the mask.

 

 

"Are you well, Arthur?" Yao asked, stepping closer so Arthur could hear him over the music and the people talking. 

 

 

"I should be fine. I'm just not used to so many people in one room." Arthur felt his forehead start to sweat under the mask and he was glad that the mask was big enough to cover his cheeks, which he was sure were bright red. He really wanted to strip off his coat and waistcoat but knew that would be regarded as a breach of etiquette. Not how he would want to start off his rule as Queen. 

 

 

"Allow me to introduce you to someone. This is Lili. She comes from the Diamond Kingdom," Yao said, seemingly scooping a young girl from the crowd. She was wearing a white, pretty gown with yellow diamonds patterned along the bottom of the skirt and an ornate gold mask. Arthur would estimate her age as eighteen from what he could see that wasn't covered by the mask. "Lili, this is Arthur." 

 

 

"It is a pleasure to meet you, Arthur." After they had been introduced, Yao took his leave. Arthur could not begrudge him this, he probably had far more duties than Arthur and Lili was pleasant to talk to. They were talking about the differences between the Spades and the Diamond Kingdom (which Arthur hoped he would be able to visit in his time as Queen) when a man wearing a dark yellow suit and a scowl came out of nowhere. He had the same blonde hair as Lili, although his mask was much plainer in design, but still the same gold. 

 

 

"Lili, there's someone you have to meet," the man said, glancing at Arthur before dismissing him completely. 

 

 

"Of course, Vash," Lili replied, smiling brightly. Arthur had a second to register that he was losing his conversational partner before Lili pulled him to her to give him a kiss on each cheek. "You will make a wonderful Queen, Arthur." Stunned, Arthur blinked as Lili and Vash left him to disappear into the crowd again. He wondered how he had given himself away or if everyone knew that he was going to be the new Queen just by looking at him. 

 

 

All of a sudden, he found it hard to breathe. He had to leave now. 

 

 

People barely let him go past but he managed to stumble out of the ballroom and into a deserted corridor without causing too much of a scene. Arthur checked to see that no one was around before ripping off his mask and scrubbing a hand across his face. He felt like he was suffocating, not just in that room, but in his role as Queen. Yao had been helpful but busy and the person he most wanted to talk to seemed to dislike being in the same room as him. 

 

 

"What are you doing here?" A voice asked from down the corridor and Arthur huffed a laugh without looking around. Speak of the devil and he shall appear. 

 

 

"I needed some air," Arthur replied flatly, only then glancing at his King. He was dressed very similar to Arthur, but his mask had shining blue jewels in decorative patterns. At Arthur's look, he reached up and removed his mask so Arthur could see his face clearly. He was just as handsome as the first day Arthur saw him and he caused the same sensation in Arthur's stomach as he had then. "What about you?" 

 

 

"King of Clubs was being irritating." The answer was surprising. Arthur thought his King did not falter in his royal duties. "He does it all the time so Yao knew what to do when he could see me getting mad." Arthur nodded, although he did not quite understand. The Clubs and Spades Kingdoms had always been enemies, even though at times of peace, it was more like rivals than anything else. 

 

 

The King shifted, looking uncomfortable and so young that Arthur almost smiled. It was good to see he was not the only one feeling out of his depth. He opened his mouth, closed it again and looked like he was debating with himself. Arthur realised what the King was trying to say. 

 

 

"I am fine, Your Majesty. It was just very hot and I thought fainting would not be the best first impression as Queen." Not to mention it would incredibly embarrassing. The last time Arthur had fainted due to a lack of food and extreme heat, his brothers had never let him forget it. 

 

 

"You can call me Alfred, you know," the King said awkwardly. "We are to be married after all. You're going to be my Queen and I'm going to be your King." Arthur felt a flash of anger at the King's whole oblivious personality. 

 

 

"Well, my King," Arthur said sarcastically and then paused because a strange expression crossed the King's face. It disappeared as quickly as it came and Arthur continued, "considering that I have only seen my future husband once in the past three weeks, when I need his presence and his help the most, forgive me for not feeling comfortable enough to call him by his given name." 

 

 

"What do you mean 'when you need my help most'?" The King asked and the triumphant feeling that had risen in Arthur at finally getting his worries off his chest disappeared as he cursed his loose mouth. He decided that now it was out, he might as well deal with the consequences. 

 

 

"I mean that you are not the only one pushed into this marriage," Arthur said in a harsh whisper, "and I would have greatly appreciated some support from my future husband while I learnt how to be Queen. The clothes alone are a lesson all by itself." Arthur cast a disdainful look down at his coat, which now looked a little more crumpled and worse for wear. 

 

 

"No, you're the one who came to the Palace to be Queen, you can't just back out because you find the job too hard!" The King, Alfred, looked angry and Arthur relished in the fact that they were finally getting everything out in the open. Or rather, he had a chance to air his grievances to someone that wasn't Yao, who just stood there and took it, leaving Arthur feeling horribly guilty. 

 

 

"No, my brother found the mark and pushed me to take the place considering it was either that or be evicted from our home!" Arthur shot back. "I came in, did some test where I didn't know half the answers and met my future husband who seemed so uninterested in me, that I instantly got the impression that choosing a Queen had not been his idea. This left me with the idea that I was going to be married to someone who was being forced to get married, which filled me with confidence. And over the past few weeks, you have done nothing to counter this first impression." 

 

 

Alfred did his impression of a fish again, opening and closing his mouth when someone entered the corridor from the door behind Arthur. He did not realise that Alfred and him had ended up face to face and closer than was proper. Luckily, it was Yao who came through the doors. 

 

 

"Sorry to interrupt," Yao said and Arthur could have almost sworn that he was being sarcastic even though there was no indication in his voice. "But it's almost time for Arthur's announcement." 

 

 

"We'll be out in a minute," Alfred replied and Yao nodded before disappearing back into the ballroom. 

 

 

Alfred reached down and picked up their masks from the floor where they had dropped during the argument. Arthur was about to reach for his mask when Alfred slotted it back on Arthur's face with careful hands. Arthur stared at Alfred as he put his own mask back on. "We'll talk later," Alfred promised in a low voice and Arthur could do nothing but nod. 

 

 

The two of them entered the ballroom together and when Arthur was led to the top of the platform and announced as the new Queen of Spades, he smiled through the applause and gripped Alfred's hand. Alfred did not let him go but held on just as tightly. 


End file.
